


macchiato

by sciencebluefeelings



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Meetings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24608332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sciencebluefeelings/pseuds/sciencebluefeelings
Summary: Student!Spock Prime and Professor!Jim
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock Prime
Comments: 15
Kudos: 27





	macchiato

Dr. Jim Tiberius Kirk, Ph.d. was going to be fucking late for his first lecture of the year. Again. He barreled down the hallway, laptop bag flapping at his side. The Vulcan students were a blur as he passed them, but Jim could vividly picture their judgmental raised eyebrows.

He reached the auxiliary auditorium, gasping from exertion - he really should stop doing this to himself - and of course the rows were already filled with students. Vulcans. The students were the same each year, punctual and diligent to a fault. 

Jim scrambled up to the stage podium, his footsteps echoing in a distracting manner, and he extracted his laptop from its bag with an astounding level of proficiency. He was flooded with relief when the first slide of the presentation illuminated the room’s projector screen. The lecture began at eleven. Jim had two minutes to spare.

Jim held in his sigh of relief as he finally scanned the auditorium. A Vulcan with greying hair and skin worn with age stood out starkly in the second row. He was wearing a very not-Vulcan t-shirt that made his shoulders look impossibly broad. Jim's had older students in the classroom before, but none as visibly aged as this Vulcan. And definitely not wearing human clothing.

The Vulcan made eye contact with Jim, who quickly averted his gaze, feeling his face go hot. You never know with Vulcans. That man could be forty or two-hundred forty-two. 

Jim couldn't resist sneaking a glance at the hot old Vulcan again. The Vulcan was looking down at his notes now, his long tanned fingers toying with the corners of the pages. _ Was that a chest tattoo peeking from the collar of his shirt?  _ Good lord. Jim hadn’t had enough coffee to even begin processing this. He reached for the top of the podium, only to belatedly remember he had neglected to buy a cup before coming here.

Jim stifled a groan and rubbed at the bridge of his nose before adjusting the microphone. “Good morning. I’d like to begin by showing you a photograph of the Greenwich Village neighborhood. . .”

When the lights flipped back on, the initial doubtful attitude of the students was gone, replaced with enthusiastic discussion - enthusiastic for Vulcans anyways. The students lingered, murmuring among themselves, and one or two approached Jim to request clarification on subjects addressed during the lecture. Jim conversed with them, pleased by their intrigue. He resisted the urge to let his eyes wander in search of that hot old Vulcan.

The Vulcan students speaking to Jim had another class to attend, so they said their farewells with adorable reluctance. Jim grinned as they left and turned around -  _ oh shit _ the hot old Vulcan was right in front of Jim. And that was definitely a chest tattoo visible above the collar of his shirt.  _ Fuck _ .

Jim brushed a hand down his wrinkled shirt and belatedly realized he was wearing his terrible off-white collared shirt with tiny weird little flowers scattered in a dense pattern across the fabric.

( _ ‘Yyyeah, the tag said flowers, but I’m pretty sure those are tribbles,’ Professor Uhura had said to him with a straight face. Sulu and Chekov couldn’t breathe from laughter, those traitors. _ )

Jim rubbed at the three-day stubble developing on his face and hoped his smile didn’t read as a grimace. “Hi?”

He got a shy but enigmatic smile in response. “Dr. Jim Kirk.” The Vulcan's voice made Jim feel like he was back on a plummeting Starfleet cruiser, adrenaline roaring in his ears. The Vulcan was close enough for Jim to see brown eyes filled with warmth.

Jim managed to say, “I am so sorry, do I know you from somewhere?”

“Oh, forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Spock.”

_ Spock, huh? _ Jim recalled hearing that name while he was still in Starfleet, but Jim was pretty sure the Vulcan with that name had been much younger than him. Definitely younger than the Vulcan standing in front of Jim now.

Spock spoke again with that curious timbre. “I read your thesis on urban policy analysis and management. It was excellent, and I was pleased to discover you were a professor at this institution teaching curriculum regarding these matters.” 

Jim felt his face growing even warmer at the kind words. “Oh - wow. Uh, thank you. That means a lot to me. I hope the class will be up to your standards.”

Spock didn’t break eye contact. “I have no doubt that it will be so. My embassy would not have sanctioned my education if they felt your course was inadequate.”

“Embassy - oh my god. I was wondering why your name sounded familiar. You’re Ambassador Spock!” The famous half-Vulcan half-human acclaimed diplomat. The hell was this guy doing in Jim’s classroom of all places? Jim should be the one listening to  _ him  _ teach. “I’ve read articles and your literature on your efforts for promoting the Romulan-Vulcan reunification movement. It’s incredible work.”

Jim watched in fascination as the ambassador’s face flushed a brilliant color all the way to his ears, matching the color of his tattoo. “I had not expected you to be familiar with my writings. Thank you, Doctor.”

“Please, call me Jim.” Jim flashed a grin at the ambassador. “I need to move to my next lecture, but it was very nice to meet you, Ambassador Spock.”

“Same to you, Jim.” The ambassador gave Jim a final soft smile before exiting the doorway.

Jim rubbed his incredibly sweaty palms against his legs, thankful not for the first time that handshakes weren’t part of the Vulcan cultural norm.

Jim walked into the auditorium the next day, this time early enough that he didn’t need to run down the hallway, but still not early enough to stop by the coffeehouse on campus. Not that there was anything pleasantly drinkable from there anyways, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Jim paused mid-yawn. There was a cup of coffee on the podium. Upon moving closer, Jim could see that his name had been written on the side of the brown coffee sleeve with a heart for the dot of the ‘i’.  Jim looked up with a raised eyebrow to see Ambassador Spock smirking from his seat. He mimicked Jim’s stunt yesterday grabbing at air for a nonexistent coffee, and Jim resisted the urge to laugh aloud.

He tasted carefully, and the warm, rich coffee spread across his tongue. Definitely not the cheap stuff they hand out at the Academy coffeehouse. Jim was touched by how thoughtful the gesture was, and he wondered if it was evident in his expression.  Ambassador Spock leaned his head on one hand and winked. He must've gotten the message, but Jim would thank the ambassador after class, regardless.

After another sip, Jim set the coffee cup back down with a bright smile and opened his laptop.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! (or reaching the bottom of the page ^^) I appreciate all kudos and any form of comments! especially the ones w emoji spam 💖💖✨✨
> 
> If you enjoyed this AU fic, [you might like this kirk/spock prime Mer AU! (Rating is M) ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23298634)


End file.
